a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bottle openers, and, more particularly, to a compact, ergonomic bottle opener which can be carried in a pocket or on a keychain and that is also suitable for advertising and promotional use.
b. Related Art
As used herein, the term “bottle opener” refers to a tool for the removal of standard crimped metal bottle caps, also known as crown caps, which are commonly found on bottled beverages such as beer, sparkling water and soft drinks. Furthermore, the terms forward and rearward, upper and lower, refer for case of illustration and clarity to the orientation of the opener as it is ordinarily held for the removal of a cap from a bottle.
Kitchen bottle openers are, of course, well known; however, portable openers are also desirable. Many prior bottle openers have been developed that are sufficiently compact to be carried in a pocket or on a keychain. Because of the substantial force required to remove a bottle cap, however, many of the prior types have been made entirely of metal, such as steel, die-cast zinc alloy, or powdered metal. Examples include those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,864,898 and 4,949,600 (to Yang), 5,077,850 (to Brubaker) and 4,653,354 (to Clapp). This form of construction makes them relatively expensive to produce and also quite heavy to carry. Some have been made of aluminum, which is lighter in weight, but aluminum is soft and prone to rapidly wearing out in the critical area that engages the cap.
Bottle openers have also been made of various plastic materials, but these invariably must have metal reinforcement in the critical area where the opener makes contact with the cap during removal, at least if they are expected to have a reasonable service life. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,597 (Rowland) teaches an opener that is made of both plastic and metal, while U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,864,818 and 4,949,600 (both to Tricinella) show plastic bottle openers having a metal blade insert.
A problem with many prior compact bottle openers is that they exhibit poor ergonomics and are quite difficult to use, often requiring two or more tries before the cap can be removed. One reason for the difficulty is a simple law of physics: An opener that is small enough to be suitable for carrying on a key chain (maximum length about 2.75 inches) can only provide a short lever arm, which requires more finger or hand strength than would a long one. Moreover, many prior compact bottle openers, unlike their bulky kitchen counterparts, are unable to form an adequate engagement with the underside of the bottom cap and therefore tend to slip off when lifted. Still further, many prior openers, although comparatively small in size, are cumbersomely shaped and do not nest well with keys on a common ring.
Yet another drawback of prior designs is that the openers are generally lacking in broad, flat areas for display of logos, advertising and so on. Key-ring bottle openers are commonly employed as promotional items, yet few prior openers provide anything more than a single, narrow surface or strip on which such information can be printed or otherwise applied.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a compact bottle opener that can be carried on a keychain that is inexpensive to produce and which has sufficient strength to effectively remove bottle caps. Furthermore, there exists a need for such an opener that is durable and long lasting in use. Still further, there exists a need for such an opener that has an ergonomic configuration so that caps can be removed without undue strain, to either the hand/wrist or fingers, despite the short lever arm inherent in a compact opener. Still further, there exists a need for such an opener that engages the edge of a cap in a secure manner so as to avoid the opener slipping off when it is raised to remove the cap from a bottle. Still further, there exists a need for such an opener that provides a large, prominent area or areas for displaying logos, advertising messages, and other information, making it especially suitable for promotional use.